Singer Tae Yi faced criticism from some listeners for remarks made during a live radio broadcast.
Tae Yi met with listeners on the morning of 1st while hosting MBC FM4U's "Good Morning FM Tae Yi."
On that day, the radio provided major news updates through the daily segment "Today's Keyword News." During this, the news of the death of former People's Power lawmaker Jang Je-won was mentioned, and Tae Yi added a personal thought, saying, "It's unfortunate."
In response, some listeners pointed out Tae Yi's remarks, saying, "It’s not unfortunate at all." The late former lawmaker Jang Je-won was under police investigation recently for allegations of sexually assaulting his secretary, A, in 2015 while serving as vice president at a university in Busan. A claimed that after drinking at an after-party, he committed sexual assault against her, and former lawmaker Jang denied all allegations. In rebuttal, A's side submitted evidence, such as videos, to the police to prove the allegations of sexual violence, and was scheduled to hold a press conference on 1st at 10 a.m. to explain the details of the complaint.
However, according to the police, former lawmaker Jang was found dead at around 11:40 p.m. the previous day in an officetel in Gangdong District, Seoul. The police determined that there were no obvious signs of criminal offenses, and a suicide note addressed to family members was reportedly found at the scene.
With the death of the involved party, the police investigation regarding the sexual assault allegations is expected to be concluded as 'no prosecution.' Accordingly, A's side also canceled the press conference that was scheduled.
Amid this, in relation to Tae Yi's remark of being "unfortunate" regarding the death of former lawmaker Jang, some listeners reacted, saying, "How many people has he tormented over the years; it’s not unfortunate," "It’s something to be angry about, as the person who committed the crime ran away without facing consequences," and "We should sympathize with the victims who have suffered for more than a decade."
One listener pointed out, "I don’t think it’s appropriate for a host to express personal feelings. I would appreciate more caution." This indicates that care should be taken in remarks since the allegations of sexual assault have not been fully resolved. On the other hand, another listener defended Tae Yi, saying, "To feel unfortunate means that it’s unfortunate that the person went without facing consequences."
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[Photo] OSEN DB
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